Today, I saved $4.50 on my phone bill. It was easy – I just called the company and asked for a better plan.
I’ve been paying $3.50 each month for the “eValue” plan, which allows me to make long distance calls for 11 cents a minute. It sounded like a great deal at the time, so I signed up.
The cost for the plan just went up to $4.50. Still a great deal? I wasn’t sure. I make enough business calls to make long distance a must-have, but it seemed very non-thrifty to pay $4.50 just for the service.
I called the phone company and asked a simple question: Can I pay a flat rate per minute, without paying for a monthly plan?
Yes! Their flat rate for long distance is 12 cents a minute, with no monthly fees. Of course, they don’t offer this flat rate unless you ask for it. I felt really foolish, having paid for a plan that I didn’t really need or want.
Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to politely ask for what you want. You might just get it.
Needless to say, I’ve switched to the flat rate. Unless I make 450 minutes worth of long distance calls each month (a penny extra per minute), I’ll come out ahead. It’s only $4.50 a month, but over the course of year I can save up to $54.
Hi Stacey… welcome to the blogging world!
Quick question… do you have a cell phone? If so, why bother with a land line?
Tom,
I have a prepaid cell phone for emergencies and while driving. I make a small number of long distance calls for my business, and it’s cheaper per-minute to use the land line.
One of my employeers also reimburses me for business-related calls, which I wouldn’t get back if I used a cell. Plus, my itemized land line bill is tax deductable.
Thanks for the welcome!